Semolina Pasta: How It Is Different

Semolina pasta almost always means durum wheat internationally, prized for its high protein and firm bite when boiled. Pasta made from a bread wheat semolina, like ours, is a related but genuinely different product.

What differs

Internationally, pasta semolina almost always means durum wheat, prized for its high protein and firm bite when boiled.
Semolina from a regular bread wheat variety, like our three landraces, behaves a little differently, slightly less firm and more prone to going soft if overcooked.
Colour differs too. Durum semolina pasta is a deep gold. Bread wheat semolina pasta is paler, closer to the colour of the grain itself.
What stays the same is the basic method, semolina mixed with water or egg, formed and then dried or cooked fresh.
Treat printed cook times as a guide rather than a rule, and start checking a minute or two before the pack suggests.

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Semolina pasta questions

Is bread wheat semolina pasta worse than durum pasta?: Not worse, just different. It has a softer bite and a paler colour rather than durum's firm, golden result.
Why is my semolina pasta paler than pasta I buy elsewhere?: Colour comes largely from the wheat variety used. Bread wheat semolina is naturally paler than durum semolina.
Should I cook bread wheat semolina pasta shorter than the pack says?: Start checking a minute or two early, since it can go from firm to soft faster than durum pasta does.
Can I use bread wheat semolina pasta the same way as regular pasta?: Yes, in any sauce or dish, just watch the boiling time more closely than you would with a durum pasta.

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